Beyond The Screen
by Victorian War
Summary: Gundam SEED AU After winning the Best Actor, Kira finds himself working in a new series with his father, sister and, the last but not least, his secret crush for years. And then sparks begin to fly. Pairing: Kira x Athrun
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** (Gundam SEED AU) After winning the Best Actor, Kira finds himself working in a new series with his father, sister and, the last but not least, his secret crush for years. And then sparks begin to fly. (Pairing: Kira x Athrun)

**Disclaimer:** These characters aren't mine. Neither is the story of Gundam SEED. As for the inspiration of this fic, they come from a lot of sources, namely this year's Oscar, Garasu no Kamen (Glass Mask) manga by Miuchi Suzue-sensei, and even the Lord of The Rings trilogy. Obviously I don't own them either.

**Warnings:** First of all, this is a story centered on a male/male pairing, which is Kira x Athrun. Don't like it, don't read. Second, it's an AU. This fic is set in a world very much like ours rather than that in SEED. The main casts are all eighteen in this fic, so you'll probably see some mature content in the course of the story. Spoilers, at least for SEED, will also be unavoidable since I'm using the anime's storyline as the script of the film. If you're still with me so far and don't mind anything I mention above, do proceed.

**A/N:** This plot is very old, I know, and probably has been used thousands of times in thousands other series. But I want to give it a try in this fandom. I wrote this only for fun, so if there are things that seem improbable (and I must admit that I know absolutely nothing about moviemaking or the showbiz world) and inconsistent, just imagine that they can happen. Or better still, pretend that this fanfic takes place in an alternate universe that resembles ours but is still different.

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**Beyond The Screen**

**By: Victorian War**

**Chapter One: And She Came With a Present**

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Kira woke up to a loud pounding sound. He looked around groggily and realized that his bedroom was already bathed in bright sunlight, courtesy to his not drawing the curtain last night. Or this morning, if his throbbing headache was any indication. It couldn't be more than three hours since he had slumped into his bed and welcomed the blissful sleep.

The sound continued with the persistence of an ill-mannered woodpecker – not that he had ever seen one – and Kira staggered off the bed with an irritated huff. Whoever knocking at his door really had one hell of a nerve. Disturbing his sleep when he had just won–

Kira froze in the middle of crossing his small living room, recollections flooding his brain. Last night. The Academy Award. Best Actor.

He won.

_He won._

His quiet moment of realization was broken by another train of pounding on his front door, now unmistakably louder and more impatient. Not yet fully recovered from the depth of his shock, Kira only stared at it for a long moment. He had won. He was the best actor of the year at the age of eighteen. Of course he had every reason to believe that it was a horde of hungry reporters waiting for him at the other side of the door.

It took him nearly a minute to realize that there was this small useful hole at his door he could use for a little peeking. Feeling rather like an idiot, Kira continued walking toward the source of the sound. For all he knew, it could be his mother wanting to speak to him about something really important. Usually she would let him sleep until noon when he had no work to do for the day, but being his mother, she did have certain authority over him. Or, who knows, maybe it was someone from the award committee who was about tell him that they had gotten it all wrong last night and he had not really won the award. Talking about a bad morning.

Armed with this depressing prospect, he gingerly approached the door and peered into the loophole. A familiar face was scowling at him from the other side of the door and Kira sighed heavily, his headache already increasing tenfold. At least it was not anyone from the committee, but what could his sister possibly want at this early hour? Theoretically, she should be as tired as he was. They had been dancing, laughing all night, and generally making fools out of themselves in front of the most prominent people in the show business. He couldn't imagine a more ridiculous pair than them at the party last night, but no one had said anything – to their face at least – and so they had only carried on.

Well, they won _the_ Award.

More pounding brusquely reminded him that his sister was still out there and Kira quickly unlocked the abused door. He was just about to open his mouth when Cagalli, golden eyes shooting deadly glares at him, fired her accusation.

"Why the hell did you turn off your doorbell?" she asked, voice as sharp as barbed wire. Faced with this demand however, his irritation only returned in full force and soon Kira already matched her glare with one of his own.

"Because I want to sleep the whole day, that's why," he snapped. "I'm tired and I'm cranky, so tell me what you want so I can kick you out of my apartment and get back to my bed."

For a moment, it looked like she was about to snap back at him, but a second later her face broke into a grin, followed by a train of merry laughter. The sound, however, only tripled the intensity of his painful headache. Kira heaved a deep sigh, calming himself before the rest of his patience blew up to oblivion.

"Cagalli," he repeated, voice laced with every degree of warning he could muster in his half-sober state, "_what_ do you want?"

"You do look like hell," she said, looking much too amused to his steadily worsening mood. Now reminded to the fact that he had been sleeping in his tuxedo, Kira chose to ignore it and shot her another warning glare.

"Cagalli–"

"I'm just saying," she interrupted, an exasperated note colouring her voice. "And don't think I'm letting you back to bed. Change your clothes, Brother, we're going out to celebrate."

Kira felt like his head had just been hammered by tons of… well, hammers. "Wasn't last night – until this morning by the way – enough already?" he said incredulously.

"We won the Academy, Kira," she pointed out. "I think I'm allowed to get a little high."

"And I think I'm allowed to have a little sleep," he shot back crossly. "Cagalli, we were partying until five this morning! And now it's what? Nine in the morning??"

"Details," she waved a hand cheerfully and pushed him aside, inviting herself in. Kira wanted to protest but then realized that he could not raise any, not against his own sister – and currently the best actress in the world. Flattening his irritation down as best as he could, he followed her toward the pantry and grudgingly took a seat on one of the stools as his sister busied herself with cups and coffee beans.

"What do you mean celebrate?" he asked her, unable to keep the hint of frustration out of his voice particularly because she had started humming a happy tune. For someone who had slept for only three-and-a-half hours at best, she was positively radiating with _joie de vivre_. But Cagalli had always been like that, he reminded himself. Her last movie, a tragic story featuring her as a fragile Russian princess in a turbulent journey toward adulthood shocked everyone, especially those who were familiar with her previous roles and personality in life. Kira knew what an actress should be capable of and admitted that his twin was one of the best, but still he was genuinely amazed at how good Cagalli was in the movie. No one would believe that the delicate princess was in reality a girl with a fiery character. She definitely deserved the award.

The 'princess' stopped in the middle of her coffee-making and threw him a dry look. "If you check your phone now, you'll find out that we've left thousands of messages, but the point is, Dad and Mum want us to spend the day together with them."

At this explanation, Kira wanted to sigh again but decided not to. He realized that they had been spending time together less and less ever since he and Cagalli had started signing contract for big projects. Their parents were glad for them, of course, and it wasn't as if they had been a very close family to begin with. But still.

Uzumi Nala Athha was a legendary director with many successes, including nine films in total and three Oscars, the last of which he had only obtained last night. Lisha Yamato, on the other hand, was a fashion designer who specialized in making costumes for movies. Both were the top dignitaries of their fields and this was probably the reason why they had divorced when their children had just been two years old. Kira hadn't remembered much about his father and older sister, and for years lived a contented childhood with his beautiful mother.

Their family's second get-together happened during the shooting of a movie eight years ago when Uzumi, distressed by horrendous designs – as he called them – shown by every other costume designer, decided that he needed his ex-wife's help. It had not happened in a flash, especially since it had been ego which had separated them years ago, and both of them had their own pride, big and often insurmountable. It was with the help of both children that they finally remarried two years later.

Not a second in his life Kira ever regretted that day, but there were times when he wished that his father wasn't so famous. Or so brilliant. He had heard those snide comments about his achievements only too often, that they were just a part of the legendary director's hall of fame. He could only imagine how it was for Cagalli who had grown up looking at his towering silhouette.

Casting a sidelong glance at his sister, Kira couldn't help an affectionate smile, his irritation already evaporating without a trace. For him, she was a true miracle. Never in his life had he ever imagined meeting someone who instantly 'clicked' with him so naturally. Sure, they had their rough moments but most times, it spawned from the fact that they were both too stubborn to their own good. They had the same way of thinking, knew what was on each other's mind, and generally liked the same things, among them and the most obvious the art of acting. The latter had even gone as far as liking the same boy when they had been in junior high, which had created quite a tension between them that time since they practically couldn't hide anything from the other. Kira chuckled at this memory. Cagalli was, beyond any doubt, his twin.

"You'll hear about this from Dad later but I'm going to tell you anyway," she suddenly said, looking away for a moment from the coffeemaker and fixing him her I-know-a-secret-you-don't look. Kira raised an eyebrow at this. Cagalli was never good at keeping secrets, especially from him, but she definitely knew how to make them look tantalizing.

"What?"

His sister looked at him for a long moment, his gaze appraising, before answering slowly, "He will ask you to play in a film."

That certainly was not what he had been expecting. Kira frowned, not getting the big picture of the whole situation, and said, "You know my policy, Cagalli. I'm not playing and won't play in his films. I thought at least you agreed with me on that."

Clearly undeterred by his refusal, she gave him a stubborn look and added, "I'll be playing in it too."

At this, he became even more astonished. "What?"

"You don't know what film I'm talking about, Kira," she pointed out with a grin.

It was plain that he didn't, but judging from the pleased look on his twin's face, it shouldn't be too hard to guess. Kira rummaged through his brain and the answer came to him easily. "The winter series?"

"Bull's-eye, Brother," her grin widened a notch and she put in front of him a steaming cup of coffee. "Here, have your well-earned prize and listen to me. Dad is offered to be the director of the greatest series ever made and he wants you in it. You'll be lying if you say that you don't want the role, so be honest with me. Are you interested?"

Kira had to force himself not to snort incredulously at this point. "With him as the director and us in it? Imagine how it'll look, Cagalli. The Athha family project?"

The look on her face told him that he had not heard the worst part. "Guess what roles we get."

"Twins?" he said sarcastically.

Her jaw dropped as surprise flickered across her face. "How do you know that?"

Equally shocked, Kira found himself copying the gesture. "We get roles as _twins_? Is he crazy?"

"No," Cagalli shook her head and gave him a little smile. "We'll be playing as twins separated since infancy. And don't say anything about that," she quickly added when he opened his mouth again. "Just think about it, Kira. People are willing to kill to get the most trivial role in this series and you have the chance to be the leading cast within your grasp. Please show me that you aren't as daft as I think you are."

The last bit of information, however, only increased his incredulity. "I'm the main character in the biggest series ever made by my own father?"

"My dear brother, you won_the _Academy," she said, a trace of impatience in her voice. "Give yourself a little credit. And stop blaming him for being a great director that he is, will you? The three of us won last night and he wants to make this project his best one yet. It just happens that we, the finest people there is, are a family."

Kira was silent for a long moment, only staring at the light vapor emitted by his coffee. Cagalli was right about certain points. He would, beyond any doubt, be the envy of every actor that walked this earth. The winter series – as people called it since it always began on the first of December every year – was as famous as it was first-class, not to mention big-budgeted. It was the only series which was sponsored by five major corporations in the world, enabling instant popularity and almost unlimited amount of money to fulfill the director's every whim. There were definitely perks by working in this project, including but not limited to a large income and a guaranteed success in the future if he played very well.

But in a way, it was also a double-edged sword. If he was unable to live up to the director's expectation – who in this case was his perfectionist of a father – or to pass the executive board's examination, it was an almost certain death of his career. He had to think about this carefully. Not that he doubted his ability, but there were other factors that played a part in making one a good actor. And he had not mentioned about the unkind voices that would certainly rise at his and Cagalli's appointment. What if it dealt a heavy damage on the popularity of the series?

"You're worried about what others will think?" his sister suddenly asked, easily terminating his train of thoughts.

Kira stared back squarely at her golden eyes. "Aren't you?"

"Well..." she hesitated for a moment and then nodded. "Yeah, I think I am. That was the reason why we got out of the house and chose to live here, right? But don't you want this role?"

This, of course, he couldn't deny. "Yes," he admitted sheepishly. "If it suits me, that is."

Cagalli rolled her eyes. "That completely goes without saying. What makes you think Dad will offer you a role that doesn't suit you anyway? If he says you'll be great, then you'll be great. He isn't the best director in the world for nothing."

"I know," Kira grinned, unable to hide his amusement at how fierce his twin defended their father's honor. It had been five years since they had become a whole family again, but Cagalli was still her father's daughter and Kira remained his mother's son. Both parents loved them equally, but when it came to who knew who better, the answer was obvious.

After taking a sip from her own cup, Cagalli fixed him another determined look. "Fine, if you're so worried, just see the whole problem this way. If there are people who assume that we get the roles only because of him, let's shut them up. We'll play so good that they can do nothing else but to admit that they are wrong. We can do it, Kira, I know we can. The question is, are you up for it?"

It was certainly a challenge – and one he was unlikely to back down from in normal circumstances. Still, Kira forced himself not to succumb to adrenaline rush – the coffee's fault, undoubtedly, and her provocation's too. He slowly sipped his drink and once again mulled things over, only half-aware that his sister was a hair's breadth away from strangling him for making her wait. If he were to be honest, he already knew the answer. Cagalli was good and Kira knew for sure that he himself was good. They would make a magnificent team. Of course they could do it.

There was, however, one last thing he needed to ask. He reached out and caught her hand in his, his face serious. "Do you really want this, Cagalli? You do know that it will be far from easy, right?"

Her surprise gave way to a smile, soft but bright under the light admitted in by the large window in the room. "Yes," she answered firmly. "A lot of people won't like it, but I believe that together we can make things happen. Besides," she added with an amused tone, "this will be the first time we're doing a film together. You know I always want to play against you if only to assure myself that my brother is really as good as people say."

He chuckled and gave her hand a light squeeze. "Okay then, you'll get the answer after I see the script."

"Oh, suit yourself," she snorted, irritated that her brother wouldn't make up his mind already. "Just remember that I'll be very pissed if you say no."

Kira only smiled into his cup. He would most likely say yes if only to pay the debt he knew he owed her. Ever since he had been a little boy, Kira had seen his mother work with handsome actors and beautiful actresses many, many times. They had enchanted him, showing him that a colourful world existed beyond reality, but in the end it was Cagalli who had roused his passion in acting. Seeing her as Juliet in their junior high school play had been the beginning of everything.

The road ahead wouldn't be smooth, but if his sister wanted it, Kira would walk down that road with her.

"You're thinking about me," she suddenly said, an amused smile curving her lips.

Kira gave her a blank look, refusing to admit. "I have to remind you that winning the Best Actress doesn't mean that you can hit on your own brother."

Cagalli burst into laughter. "Very original, Brother," she said, clapping her hands in acknowledgement. "Oh right, before I forget and you complain about this, Dad has asked Mum to be in charge of the wardrobe."

"Imagine my surprise," he replied dryly and earned himself a reproachful look from his twin.

"Do we have to repeat the earlier argument?"

He smiled wanly. "You can inflict more damage to my mental health by telling me the rest of the cast."

Cagalli grinned at him. "You want shock? Then I'll tell you three names. First, Fllay's on the list."

Kira was suddenly reminded to the prime reason why he didn't want to be involved in this series. "Fllay?" he repeated, feeling that the news had led another headache invasion to his head. "Your best friend Fllay Allster? Cagalli, I honestly begin to think that Dad's doing this only for his own fun."

"He said Fllay would be terrific playing this role and you know she's a great actress," his sister replied offhandedly. "She'll be your girl, by the way. Or at least one of them from what I heard."

"Right," he sighed, massaging his temple. "Who else?"

"Lacus Clyne."

Finally, a name that didn't make him want to bang his head onto the table. "Lacus Clyne? _The_Lacus Clyne? The songstress with the divine voice?" he asked, thrilled at the prospect of working with his favourite singer.

"Yeah, her role has to do a lot of singing, so she'll be perfect," Cagalli explained, smiling at his enthusiasm. "From what I know, she hasn't said yes but Dad is optimistic. And if everything goes according to plan, she's going to be your other girl."

"At least that is a point I will seriously consider," he said, grinning widely. Of course his twin knew about this. She had been keeping it as a trump card all the way.

But Cagalli shook her head and there was a glint in her eyes that set the alarm inside his head off. "You haven't heard about the last," she reminded him.

"Another girl of mine?"

"Close," his sister winked, "but not quite. It's the other main character, your best-friend-slash-rival-slash-secret-love-interest."

Kira just had to laugh at this. "Seems like every girl in the series falls in love with me. Am I making a harem or what?"

"You have a point there," she nodded solemnly, "but I said not quite. Why? Because it's a guy."

_A guy?_ That sobered him up very quickly and Kira gave her a puzzled look. "Didn't you say secret love interest?"

To increase his alarm, Cagalli suddenly giggled. Kira eyed her uncertainly, because he knew for sure that his sister did not _giggle_ and most certainly was not capable in producing anything girly except on stage or in front of camera. "Read the script when you get it and you'll see what I mean," she said with a smirk, ignoring the strange look on his face. "Well, I agree with you that Dad is having fun in this."

Kira made a face at her but refrained from throwing another comment about their father. He asked instead, "Who's going to play him?"

Cagalli didn't answer and only stared at him long and hard, her golden eyes gleaming with suppressed excitement. Kira waited, knowing that she loved to keep him in suspense, but seeing her complacent expression, he suddenly had a very good idea who. Only one person in the world could put that look on her face.

His eyes widened and his throat suddenly felt dry. "No."

"Yes," she countered calmly.

"No, that's impossible, Cagalli," he muttered, his voice sounding weak. "That's just impossible. I mean, he can't possibly–"

The rest of his words died at the edge of his tongue and Cagalli's smirk widened. "I'll give you one clue, Kira," she said, obviously enjoying the whole situation very much. "You beat him for the Best Actor last night."

It felt like his heart had suddenly stopped beating. Kira felt dizzy, and afraid – afraid that his sister was only playing a trick on him. She knew how much he wanted to meet this person, to really meet, not just shake his hand formally like it had been last night. Was today the first of April? Because it was plain impossible. There was no way he could get that lucky.

"Zala?" he whispered when he finally found his voice again – and the courage to ask.

Cagalli grinned at him. "The one and only," she answered, her voice still dipped in amusement but so very honest that it left no room for doubt. Kira found himself once more unable to produce a coherent sound, his mind too crowded with the fact that he would be playing with the guy who had filled his dreams for two years.

_With Athrun Zala._

"Now," Cagalli said again, a complacent look on her face, "are you going to accept, dear Brother?"

**End Chapter One**

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Anyone interested to see what will happen next? Then leave a review! D


	2. Chapter 2

See **Summary, Disclaimer, **and **Warnings **in the first chapter.

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**Beyond The Screen**

**Author: Victorian War**

**Chapter Two: A First to Everything**

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Kira stared at the white piece of paper in his hand, re-reading what was scribbled on it for probably the seventh time. Like six previous such occasions, it ended up in a minor headache which quickly escalated into a full-blown urge to tear his hair out and scream his frustration.

A few seconds later however, instead of repeating the act for the eighth time in a row, he finally decided to do the most sensible thing he could think of. Balling the paper in his fist, Kira stalked off and left his trailer, his steps hurried and determined. Outside, he crossed the field where many similar trailers were situated and stopped in front of one with bright green colour. There were voices coming from inside, loudly reciting lines from the pages he himself had just memorized earlier this morning. He raised a hand and knocked at the door firmly. Five seconds later, his sister appeared with a puzzled expression written across her countenance.

"Where is Chief?" he had asked before Cagalli could as much as open her mouth.

"Chief?" she repeated automatically but then realized that her twin was talking about their father. "Oh, he's having a budget meeting with some members of the executive board in town. Didn't he tell you that?"

"_You are Ssigh's friend, aren't you?_" A high-pitched voice echoed from inside the trailer and Kira immediately found himself the receiver of a very offended look from a pretty red-haired girl. She was sitting cross-legged at the middle of the trailer's floor on what looked like a chocolate-coloured rug, a bundle of script opened on her lap.

"Hello, Fllay." He tried to make his voice sounded guilty but knew that his attempt was less than successful. "I didn't see you there."

"Really? Imagine my surprise," she said dryly, giving him a dark look. "Oh, don't worry. Just ignore my lowly presence. I'll get thousands of chances to spite you two on screen later."

"Yeah, that's incredibly mature, girl," Cagalli shot back with a grin but ignored the low, sarcastic 'ha ha' her friend was making and redirected her gaze back to her brother. "So what's up, Kira?"

Instead of answering, Kira rapidly moved to another question. "Do you know who's in charge of the accommodation?"

For a moment, it seemed that she was about to protest at this torrent of questions but then thought the better of it. "It's Mr. Wahlgren," she told him after a moment of pause. "And that's the last question I will answer before you tell me what's going on."

Kira ran a nervous hand through his hair, completely unaware that he only succeeded making a greater mess out of his hair by doing so. "I've just been told that I got a roommate."

"A roommate?" Cagalli repeated, unsure of the direction this conversation was taking.

"Or trailer-mate in this case," he mumbled and she noticed that his other hand was clenching a piece of paper. Somehow she had a feeling that it was the source of her brother's current problem, whatever it was.

But the answer definitely didn't help. If anything, it only brought her confusion to a greater order.

"So?"

He shot her an impatient look and suddenly, like she had been struck by a sudden enlightenment, she realized what the _problem _was. Trailer-mate. Of course. She didn't need to be a genius to relate it with the small detail that there were only two of the cast who had yet to join them in this remote place for the scheduled eight months of shooting.

"Well," she drawled, making sure that he caught every shade of amusement highlighting her voice, "if that is your reaction to the simple news of having a trailer-mate, I think I know who the unlucky person is."

"Cagalli, I can't share a trailer with him!" Kira whispered in panic, his eyes repeatedly glancing over her shoulders. She didn't have to turn around to tell that her friend must be watching them with barely suppressed interest. That girl had an eye – and ear definitely – for juicy gossips.

That wasn't to say that Cagalli wasn't thoroughly enjoying this herself. She put on a smile and asked sweetly, "And why is that, dear little brother?"

"You're enjoying this," he muttered in accusation, at which Cagalli only shot her faux innocent smile. "Are you really my sister or not?"

"I'm glad to relinquish the title for the moment to enjoy this a little longer," she told him cheerfully.

That far was apparently the most Fllay could take. "Are you two, by any chance, gossiping?" Her voice rose again in the background. "Because my radar just went off and Kira, you're wearing that look guys usually wear when people find out that he's just been sleeping with someone."

It took Cagalli all her power not to burst into laughter. Kira looked absolutely horrified at this comment and naturally it only made her think if her best friend's observation was a little too close to the mark. But she decided to take pity on him, silently blaming it on her overprotective nature, and gave Fllay a firm look.

"All right, girl, go back to your script," she said dismissively. "Unfortunately for you, this is only between my brother and me, so keep your nose out of it."

Fllay returned it with a sour look and muttered something like 'family conspiracy' under her breath as Cagalli closed the door behind her, hiding a grin. Half dragging his brother, she slipped between a few other trailers, following a shortcut she had always taken every morning and evening, until they arrived in front of a large warehouse. They called it the 'barrack'.

It was the fourth of June, two weeks since the shooting had officially begun. She had been surprised to find out that the preparation for this new series had been made since almost a year before. Still, how her father – who was also the director in this case – could find this place was really beyond her. She guessed it had a lot to do with the money their sponsors would readily make available at every request issued by the legendary director.

Their shooting ground was an abandoned military base at northern Italy. It had the advantages of a remote location, including few everyday – and in this case unnecessary – noises thanks to the surrounding forest, but other than that was easily accessible from the nearest city which was only an hour drive away. Five old hangars, three warehouses, two smaller buildings that used to function as field offices, and myriad of trailers comprised the whole compound. The 'barrack' was one of the warehouses that served as their hall and canteen. There was a delicious smell drifting from inside as they passed in front of it.

Next to the warehouse, only separated by three acres or so of empty land, was a smaller building which was used as their mother's studio. She kept the majority of the costumes there, along with other make-up whatnots that would be needed for the show. The building also housed the actors and actresses' dressing rooms. And just a little walk from the other side of the studio, they finally arrived at the border of the woods. Here, Cagalli thought to herself, they would be able to talk without disturbance. As much as she liked to tease her younger twin, her sisterly affections made her think twice if it was indeed wise to let others know about his attraction to a certain someone.

"So, your trailer-mate is arriving today?" she asked him once they were far enough from the camp.

His nervous, violet eyes were quick to find hers. "This afternoon with Miss Clyne," he answered, his voice no less distressed. "Cagalli, you must help me. If he sleeps in the same trailer as me, I'm dead."

She shrugged. "What do you expect, Kira? We have to share trailers."

"I know, but why must it be him?"

"To understand your roles better maybe. You two are supposed to be best friends, right?"

"That's just great," he huffed and started pacing around, agitation plain for everyone to see. Cagalli watched all these with mounting interest before deciding to do a little more probing.

"What's your problem actually?" she asked.

Her brother shot her an exasperated look. "Cagalli, I'm a healthy eighteen-year-old guy! I have dreams!"

"Dreams?" She was certain that her face was scrunched up in confusion. A fraction of a second later however, it transformed into a look of pure horror. "_Oh. God._ You're dreaming about _him_?"

Kira was already blushing from ear-to-ear at this point. "I can't help it," he muttered defensively.

"_You're dreaming about him_??"

The embarrassment immediately gave way to annoyance at her repetition. "Do you really need to rub it in?" he said through gritted teeth

"It wasn't my fault," she shot back, aware that she was using the same defensive tone he just had. "Believe it or not, this is the first time my brother has ever confessed to me that he is having wet dreams about my boyfriend-on-screen."

He winced. "Cagalli–"

"All right," she raised a hand, stopping his imminent protest, and heaved a deep sigh to calm herself. It didn't exactly work, but she decided that her mental health should come second at this moment. "So what's the problem?"

Kira looked at her like she had grown three other heads. "And now you ask me what the problem is."

"Yeah, because I think it's an opportunity, Kira," she said, crossing her hands in front of her chest. "Why don't you just let him know? Or tell him firsthand if you want the discovery to be less embarrassing."

"_Less embarrassing_?" Was it just her or his voice had suddenly become disturbingly shrill? "Are you out of your mind? What if he hates me because of it??"

"First and foremost, you don't know for sure if he really isn't gay," she pointed out.

"He isn't," Kira muttered, sounding as dejected as he looked. Cagalli really had to resist an urge to pull him into a hug when she saw his expression. Damn her sisterly love.

"And what makes you lean toward that belief?" she asked after pushing aside the strange urge firmly.

"He has a girlfriend."

Cagalli felt her eyebrows shooting up at this. "Really? I don't know that," she said, her voice skeptical.

"It's Miss Clyne."

That was not the name she had expected at all. "Lacus Clyne? The Lacus Clyne who is coming down with him today?"

"You know any other Lacus Clyne?" he retorted, irritation coloring his voice. When the look his sister sent him told him that she didn't appreciate the tone, he quickly said again, "Sorry. I'm really sorry. I know it isn't your fault. It's just that–"

"It isn't your fault either," she cut him impatiently. "Well, technically it is since you're the one speaking, but you know what I mean," she added before he could launch another protest. Kira had a knack to heap blames on himself and speak not a word of it until his heart started to bleed and she couldn't help but to notice. She didn't like him doing it, ever for something as small as this. Habit came from practice, they said.

She decided to seal the topic and find another. "Are you sure it isn't just a rumor though?" she asked, trying to sound casual. "In my circle of friends, especially with Fllay in the group, I don't think any gossip could pass unnoticed."

"It's since she sang for the theme song of his Oscar-winning film. And the fact that they bother to keep it low is enough to say that it's true, right?"

"You don't know that," she demurred. "What if everything appears low simply because there's nothing to hide?"

"There will be no smoke without fire," he replied gravely, shaking his head. Looking at him with raised brow, Cagalli felt more like she was speaking with a convict who was facing the gallows than conversing harmlessly with her brother.

"I think you just find it convenient to resort to the worst possible scenario," she accused.

Kira gave her a humorless smile. "Let's just be realistic, Cagalli. What is the chance of him being straight? In normal circumstances, nine out of ten. With the rumors, it's nine-hundreds-and-ninety-nine out of a thousand."

"I don't care about statistics," she said stubbornly.

"Why am I not surprised," he murmured to himself.

Cagalli pretended to not hear him. "And even if it's true, do you realize that it makes you not only liking his girlfriend but also lusting after her boyfriend?"

"You are being really unhelpful, do you know that?" he pointed out darkly.

Once again she did the I-hear-nothing trick flawlessly, but passed on the chance to make another comment. Instead she said, "Still, Kira, I don't see what you can do. Even if you share your trailer with someone else, what difference does it make? I mean if you're, well, moaning his name or something, whoever your trailer-mate is bound to find out anyway."

"Oh, I don't know," he groaned and suddenly felt like hitting his head to the nearest tree. "Why can't you share a trailer with me? I mean, we're twins. It shouldn't be a problem."

"And allow _him _to sleep in the same trailer with his girlfriend?" his sister asked, grinning. "Are you sure?"

"When I said you were being unhelpful, I was perfectly serious," Kira muttered, irritated.

This time, however, she reacted to it. "I was only being reasonable while you, my brother, are mental. You can't put him in the girls' trailer! Mr. Wahlgren will never agree to it!"

Well, that was rather obvious. But Kira was not discouraged and quickly searched for another alternative. "What about the other ZAFT boys?" he suggested.

Cagalli looked like she wanted to smack his head. "Didn't you ever look into their trailer? You can't add another guy into that hellhole! God only knows if there is a messier place on earth! And I thought you've heard about Yzak and Nicol! Are you asking Zala – and he is supposedly the love of your life at the moment – to put up with their endless squabbles??"

"If I have to," he stated bravely.

"Way to show your love, brother," she said dryly, making a face at him. "Look, there's only one little fact you have to learn to accept. We _must _share trailers. Hell, I'm sharing mine with three other girls and you only get him! I don't see why you're complaining!"

"You also get the biggest trailer around," Kira pointed out.

Cagalli grinned maliciously at him. "That's because we are the important ladies for the show. And that means the main character's twin, both of the main character's girls, and one of the main character's central friends. All four combined, we are more important than the main character himself, don't you think?"

"Up to you, Sis," he relented quickly, unwilling to waste more of their time in this more-significant-than-thou topic. His trailer-mate could arrive at any moment and he still had no idea how to deal with the situation. "As long as you help me find a reason to convince Mr. Wahlgren that it's a very bad idea to house him with me, I'll give you anything."

"The problem is, Kira," she said with a woeful sigh – and he thought of how he had never heard anything so false in his life before – the corner of her lips twitching, "I don't think it's a very bad idea."

"I can't sleep with him!"

Cagalli raised her eyebrows. "When you put it that way–"

"You know what I mean," he hissed in irritation.

"Well, yes, but that doesn't mean I can't make fun of you first," she replied cheekily and laughed when she saw his face. "Oh, whatever. If you're really that desperate, just tell Mr. Wahlgren that you don't like Zala."

"That is the biggest lie I'll ever make," Kira mumbled to no one in particular.

"Of course if you prefer him to find out about the truth–"

"I get it," he interrupted with a sigh. Cagalli still had that annoying grin on her face, but he chose to ignore it now and concentrate in his own problem. "But do you think he'll buy it? It sounds a little unprofessional."

"Because it _is_ unprofessional," she stated. "I don't know if he'll buy it though. Or you can get straight to Da– I mean Chief. If you explain the whole problem to him, who knows, maybe he can do something about it."

Kira looked at her uncertainly. "Isn't that exploiting my status as his son?"

"The choice is yours, Kira," she grinned at him. "Your moral ethics or your dirtiest secret."

With both options ready in his hands, he fell into a state of deep contemplation, but not before shooting his sister another gloomy glance. And he thought he had gotten over the worst when it was announced that starring in this series meant using his real name on screen. All that commotion for a little more publicity. Kira honestly didn't understand why his father had agreed to it at all. It was ridiculous, and quite frankly, unheard of. And to top everything else, there was only _one _actor who decided to resign after the announcement had been made.

Or maybe it wasn't that strange. Everyone wanted to have a part in what might be the best series in the history of filmmaking. Allowing one's name to be put on script paled in comparison with the result each and every one of them might have in the end.

"Let's go back. It's almost lunchtime." His sister's voice shook him awake from his thoughts. It was when Kira realized that his stomach felt cold. He had only had a little breakfast this morning and the earlier script-reading session had been more a shouting match than anything. His father had a way to bring the best out of every actor and actress, compelling them to try harder and harder even if it was only to read their script. Combined with Fllay's overdramatic flair, no one could call that session boring.

"Why don't you go first with Fllay?" he said. "I need to get my script in my trailer. There are lines I must discuss with Chief and Murrue-san. Meet you at the barrack in ten minutes?"

"Okay." Cagalli nodded and they parted ways, she retracing their steps earlier and he taking another route straight to his trailer. All the way back, his sister's suggestion was swimming around his head. He disliked the thought of lying to Mr. Wahlgren – especially since it was a very poor lie, even for his standard – but he dreaded even more the prospect of talking to his father, and it wasn't only because of his 'moral ethics'.

Three years ago, when his parents had found out about his preferences, was a moment Kira would never forget his whole life.

Appearance was probably the most important thing in the show business, second only to achievement. His father, apart from the obvious reason, was naturally not thrilled to discover that his son preferred men to women. Kira could understand that now, but at that time, when his father had shouted at him after finding him on the couch with a classmate, the only thought in head was to shout back.

And he hadn't been the only one. His mother had plainly flown off the handle when despite her attempt to temper the situation, her husband didn't cease his attack and started calling their son a disgrace. Her anger had retaliated and she accused him for being a 'homophobic bigot', and Cagalli had suddenly become the calmest person in the room – which was really saying much considering her personality. The row had not ended there. Instead, it had slowly and steadily worsened, with him spending most of his times at school and both of his parents burying themselves in their work, until it had reached a point where a second divorce was perfectly possible.

Later he had found out from Cagalli that it was the worst possible time for his father to find him making out with another boy since he had been dealing with a possible sponsor for his new film and the meeting had not gone well. But the damage had been done and neither of them was willing to budge first. The discord had clearly shown that Kira had inherited his parents' most prominent trait: their stubbornness.

If he thought about it again now, his obstinacy looked truly ridiculous. He could let it off with the excuse that he had been young and stupid back then, but had it ended different, Kira didn't know if he could forgive himself. If Cagalli – and later their mother – had not tried to act as a go-between in their breaking family, it was entirely too possible that he still refused to speak to his father until now.

So, everything had ended well, but Kira wasn't sure if he could risk talking to his father about his interest. As far as he knew, the Chief – as everyone on the set called him – had yet to fully accept the fact that his son was attracted to men. He merely tolerated it.

Maybe the best course of action was to talk with Mr. Wahlgren. But even that had one glaring flaw which had nothing to do with whether his reason was believable enough or not. If he really used the pretext that he didn't like Athrun Zala and words of it got out... well, it was practically the end of his chances, wasn't it?

Not that he thought he had any to begin with. But one was allowed dream, right?

Still torn between the two equally odious options, he went into his trailer and immediately forgot about any choice at all when he realized that he was looking at the very person his mind was full of. Before his eyes, Athrun Zala was standing in all his glory.

"Kira," he greeted, his face breaking into a smile at the sight of him. A moment later, however, a shadow of hesitation crept into both his smile and his voice. "Can I call you Kira?"

"Uh," Kira mumbled intelligently before realizing ten seconds later that he was expected to make some kind of response. "Yes, of course," he finally forced himself to say.

"Then I'm Athrun." Still smiling, the blue-haired actor extended his hand, which Kira accepted slowly in a daze. "I hope we can work well together."

"Yeah," he blurted out and realized – belatedly once more – that his reply sounded a little too brusque if not rude. "I mean, sure," he corrected, wishing that the other didn't notice the strange pitch in his voice. This was one of those moments when he wondered where the hell his award-winning acting skill had run off to.

Athrun looked unsure what to say next, a little detail which Kira couldn't help but to rejoice at. That at least put them on a more even ground.

"Mr. Wahlgren said that I'd be sharing trailer with you," his companion spoke again.

"That's right," Kira answered automatically and pointed at the bed farther from the door. "It's your bunk there. You can put your stuff just about anywhere. Well, if it's okay with you, of course," he added, not wanting to seem too superior.

"Fine with me," Athrun shot him another smile before moving his luggage next to his bed. Kira was left to deal with an urge to hit himself over the head. After all the panic he had gone through, now he was obviously leaning toward the option of letting the trailer arrangement as it was. His trailer-mate looked really nice – both physically and personality-wise – and... who knows, maybe he could cover his mouth with a blanket or something when he was sleeping.

"So," Athrun turned to look at him again, "how does it feel working here?"

"Nice, I guess," he replied slowly and at the inquiring look sent his way, tried to describe some more. "The shooting hasn't really begun, of course, but so far everybody gets along just fine. I say it's as good as it can get. Except the morning exercises perhaps."

"Morning exercises?"

"It's one of Chief's – the director's – ideas," he explained, already feeling more at ease with every word spoken. "You know, physical exercise and stuff to get us really understand how it feels to be the characters. Actually it isn't so bad for me, because I'm supposed to be the innocent civilian getting caught up in a war, but from the stories I get from Dearka, it's a lot worse for you ZAFT guys."

"Because ZAFT is an army?" Athrun ventured a guess.

"Exactly."

"I can hardly wait," he said in mock resignation.

"Let's find your friends then," Kira motioned for the other actor to follow him out of their trailer. "It's almost lunchtime. We can meet them at the barrack – that's the place where we eat and gather around. Oh, and you must see the Archangel. They're building it in hangar 3 and it's just amazing."

Athrun looked amused at his enthusiasm, but there was a note of admiration in his voice when he replied. "I've seen it on my way here. I don't think amazing is the right word though. Mind-blowing would be more accurate."

"You've got a point there," Kira chuckled. "And what about Aegis?"

"Aegis? My mobile suit?"

"Yeah, the Art guys have a model of it," he continued, feeling more and more like a boy bragging about his new shiny toys, especially since his companion had that indulgent smile on his face. "Seriously, it's cooler than anything I've ever seen."

Athrun raised his eyebrows. "Even more than your Strike?"

"Well, that one is on a whole different level," Kira declared and earned himself a full, zoom-mode view of his new friend laughing. Captivated, he completely forgot that there were three steps of stairs leading down from his trailer and found himself searching thin air for his footing a second later. That, of course, ended up with him having his face on the ground and Athrun calling him with a worried voice.

That was when he started to reconsider if it really was a good idea to have Athrun as a trailer-mate. How could he possibly handle eight months sleeping in the same trailer with him?

**End Chapter Two**

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I realize that many of you are probably going 'What!!!!????' over my decision to keep their real names in the film. I really don't have anything to say about that. It's purely for the sake of convenience. Their names are great and I'm sure people smarter than me were already spending a lot of times deciding each for every one of them. I'm sorry if that puts you off a bit or seems ridiculous, but let's try to bear it together because it will be an important point later.

Thanks for everyone who has reviewed the first chapter! Review again, please?


	3. Chapter 3

See **Summary, Disclaimer, **and **Warnings** in the first chapter.

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**Beyond The Screen**

**By: Victorian War**

**Chapter Three: Complications**

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"Okay, that's it for today and thank you, everybody!" 

A collective groan of relief erupted in the first hangar and Kira found himself joining the chorus. It had been a particularly tiring day, especially for him. The actual shooting had not even begun yet but he was starting to feel the strain of being the main character of such a long story. His past experiences had only been two–, possibly three-hour-long movies. Now he had this scenario that would take a whole year and fifty episodes to play out.

He walked out from the hangar after a glance to his busy father, automatically saying 'thank you' to everyone in his vicinity. Admittedly, it was a new and exciting experience to work in a project as big as this. They practically had an all-star casts and crews, and with them came the equivalent burdens and other less pleasant consequences. Of course it had its share of good things too – and he was _not_ talking about a certain coworker of his. Kira tried not to think of this morning's incident when he had woken up and found Athrun looking down at him. He honestly had thought that it was the continuation of his dream before the other asked if he was all right. That was, of course, when he realized that he had been making suspicious noises in his sleep.

And it had only been their first night sharing a trailer. His face still burned when he remembered the anxious look on his new friend's face, which had quickly changed into pure understanding and an awkward, knowing smile. He had quickly left after an apology, letting Kira stew alone in bubbles of frustration. Had Athrun heard him mentioning his name? Or did he think it was just that kind of dream guys their age had? Both situations were extremely embarrassing, but at least the latter didn't make him want to commit suicide. Much.

Throughout the day, Athrun had not displayed any change of manner toward him. Kira had finally made up his mind that the second option was better and it seemed that his prayer was heard and heeded this time. He could only hope that this obliviousness would continue to flourish in perfect ignorance for the remaining thirty weeks.

"Kira!"

He hadn't even turned around when Cagalli arrived at his side and slung an arm around his shoulder, which was a little awkward because she was evidently shorter than him. She was grinning, her golden eyes shining with enthusiasm that usually only appeared when she was facing a good challenge.

"I watched the whole thing," she said, sounding very impressed. "You did really great in there, Brother. I've never seen Fllay acting like that before and she really put all the blame on you."

"It was just a rehearsal," he murmured, trying to sound modest but returning her grin full-force. It felt good to hear his sister saying something like that.

"Exactly," she nodded and gave him a hard pat on the back before letting him go. "Make sure to impress me more with the real thing. And by the way, Mum is looking for you. Something about refitting, she said."

"Now?" he groaned, sensing that his plan for the rest of the night – a quick shower and then an even quicker climb to his bunk – was inching away.

"When else?"

Kira fought an urge to sigh deeply and resigned himself to his fate as Cagalli dragged him toward the direction of their mother's office. It was quite at the other side of the field, so he spent the better half of the journey listening to his sister rambling about her role and asking for his opinion about it. Her role was, to be honest, his favourite but Kira could barely respond except for a couple of nods until she smacked him lightly over the arm.

"You're really tired, aren't you?" she asked with genuine concern in her voice.

Kira rubbed the sore spot on his upper arm and grumbled, "I've been up since six this morning."

"Why? This isn't your morning-exercise day."

He threw her a pained look. "You don't want to know."

A wicked smile made its way to her face. "Something to do with your divinely attractive trailer-mate?"

"That's your 'boyfriend' you're talking about."

She lifted her eyebrows. "So? I'm not the one who has a bigger-than-life crush on him."

"But you're the one who gets the chance to be his girlfriend-on-screen," he muttered sullenly, secretly thankful that they had arrived at the costume department. He really didn't want to explain the reason of his unusually early start to his twin. It would only add to the amount of her blackmail material.

When they entered, Kira felt his breath caught in his throat. He was vaguely aware that his feet had stopped walking and that Cagalli had bumped into his back with a low hiss, but he simply couldn't tear his eyes from the view oh-so-generously presented in front of him.

Athrun was standing in front of the full-size mirror which entirely covered one side of the room, only wearing a pair of red trousers which he recognized as a part of his ZAFT uniform. The rest of his body was bare for the entire world to see – Kira wanted to believe that it was 'exclusively for _him_ to see', except that he noticed his mother's presence in the room. Still, it didn't stop him from drooling and thanking the higher powers for this magnificent, hopefully-not-once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because now he had this wonderful image stuck in his mind for the next seven months. Which might not be good at all to some parts of his anatomy, but Kira was too busy to care at the moment.

"Close that mouth. You look like an idiot," Cagalli whispered behind his ear and thankfully he had obeyed her just right before the current object of his attention noticed them standing at the threshold. A smile lit up his face, which for some obscure reasons was making Kira's knees feel unnaturally weak.

"I'll go away now," Cagalli told him after giving Athrun a small wave in return, and wandered away with a smile which could only be described as evil. Kira was left alone to deal with this epitome of his every wet dream and a pair of lungs which were on the brink of serious malfunction.

"Come here, Kira."

Right. His mother was still in the room.

Feet as heavy as lead, he managed to cross the extensive miles – or so it felt – between him and her with great effort. He stubbornly refused to look at his secret love-interest but was disappointed all the same when he finally chanced a glance and discovered that Athrun had turned to the other way.

"Your EA uniform has been readjusted," his mother told him as she pulled out a blue jacket from a nearby rack. "This is the hassle of working with young people. They haven't stopped growing."

Accepting the complaint without protest – it was true anyway – he changed his T-shirt with an EA standard issue one and slipped on the blue jacket, all the while aware that Athrun already had his eyes on him again. Kira knew how his body looked and was, as a matter of fact, proud of it and therefore didn't mind the staring. He only wished it had a deeper meaning, but it was probably just curiosity.

His mother motioned for him to stand in front of her once he was done, her sharp eyes quickly scanning over her handiwork. Kira caught a glance of himself in the mirror and frowned.

"The ZAFT uniform is cooler, Mum."

"Because ZAFT is indeed cooler, son of mine," she replied almost offhandedly, her brow drawn in concentration.

"You're ZAFT-biased," he murmured, getting himself a chuckle from Athrun. "As the Chief Designer, you should be impartial, not making one side look much better than the other."

This still didn't appeal to much of her interest, her attention clearly elsewhere even as she said, "I have so many handsome boys to work with in ZAFT. In EA, I only have you and that isn't much of an encouragement, is it?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, feigning hurt.

"That means you are handsome, sweetheart, but the problem is I have spent practically every minute of my life admiring your handsomeness since you were born. I need a little variety. How is it now?" She turned him around and took a few steps backward.

"Still a little tight around the arms."

"I forgot you've been working out," she sighed and reached for the tape measure around her neck. "Oh well. While you're here, why don't you retry your other wardrobe too? I still can make the necessary changes if there's something wrong with them."

Kira dutifully set to the task, half-listening to his mother working on Athrun and sometimes stealing sidelong looks when he thought that it was safe enough. He often thought that this guy or that guy was good-looking, but Athrun, he silently decided, was on an entirely different level. A firm but lean body, deep, beautiful green eyes which made him shudder when they caught him looking, skin so milky pale that he probably could run his tongue on it and taste vanilla, and not to mention, sinfully long, long legs.

One thing for sure, this picture would supply enough dream material for his future nights. He could already spot one, in which he would claim those delicious-looking lips, push the firm body against the mattress, and his hand would wander across taut muscles, lower and lower, milking every moan, whimper, plea…

Kira resisted an urge to bang his head on some nearby wall. His mother was there! And it was a good thing that she was! Kira very much doubted that jumping his undoubtedly male costar would really help in their filmmaking process. He tried to conjure a less desirable image in his mind and was relieved – or almost threw up, depending on how one saw the situation – when Mr. Wahlgren in a drag did the trick.

Determined to keep his mind away from those indecent, drool-inducing thoughts, he focused his attention on the rest of his wardrobe. He was in the middle of trying on his street clothes – which thanks to his mother's odd fashion sense involved a choker _somehow_ – when he heard her sighing softly.

"Perfect," she said, satisfaction and admiration radiating from her voice. "I know I make beautiful costumes, but it's you, my boy, that makes it look splendid."

Kira whipped his head around so quickly, choker already forgotten, and immediately, _wholeheartedly_ agreed. Red was a very eye-catching colour, particularly when combined with black, but in this case he really had no difficulty on deciding which was more eye-catching, the colour or the wearer. Athrun looked so stunningly handsome that he couldn't even begin to describe how he felt standing there looking at him. The design itself was already impressive, starting from the long, military-style coat to the white boots that tightly wrapped his legs, but his mother was right. Athrun was that last touch to perfection.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Yamato?"

The soft-spoken interruption pulled Kira out of his contemplative moment of admiration. Lacus Clyne was standing at the door leading to an adjacent room, wearing a turquoise-coloured dress and looking so beautiful that he couldn't help but to gape – again, only on a different subject.

"Well, I know I'm good, but this is just too overwhelming," he heard his mother speak, sounding awed and amused at the same time. She beckoned for the songstress to join them, her eyes evaluating every line and curve. "At first I was afraid that this one wouldn't work on you, but it's obviously the wrong idea. You look definitely fabulous. Don't you agree, Kira?"

Absolutely. If only he could work his jaw and put a voice into that word.

On second inspection, the dress had a really strange design, what with those separate sleeves and collar, but somehow Lacus managed to make it look exquisite. Athrun, he couldn't help but to notice, seemed to share his opinion as he approached her and took her hand in his, the other kept neatly behind his back.

"My beautiful fiancée," he greeted and kissed the top of her fingers, looking every bit the perfect gentleman in his full ZAFT regalia.

She smiled, an affectionate little smile that seemed almost teasing. "Too bad I won't be yours for long."

Athrun feigned a deep, disappointed sigh. "I have no choice but to bow to the power of the script," he said and threw a smile at Kira who, at that point, was having a very complicated feeling about the scene he had just witnessed. They looked incredibly good together, like a match made by heaven itself. He hated to admit it, but they probably were.

He smiled tightly at Athrun, ignoring the faint, painful tug in his chest, and turned around to deal with his choker.

**End Chapter Three**

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Really sorry for the lateness. I'll try not to make the next update too long. Thank you for reading and please review. 


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